Apparently the next installment is about an actual meeting between Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde .

Sounds fascinating

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One evening, about eighteen months ago, I was in my library, leafing idly through a series of books on nineteenth-century England. In one of them, I was astounded to learn that Oscar Wilde had dined with Arthur Conan Doyle in a London hotel in 1889. It seemed remarkable —almost too good to be true—that the flower of English decadence had supped with the author of the immortal Sherlock Holmes. I couldn’t imagine two more disparate people. And yet not long after that meeting, Wilde published The Picture of Dorian Gray. And Doyle’s nascent Holmes stories saw the detective morphing into a keener, cooler, more ineffable fellow—with a certain addiction. Could these two have possibly influenced each other’s writing?

“I immediately grabbed the phone to call Doug. He researched the fateful meeting and discovered that the answer to my question was yes. He told me that some scholars believe Wilde, a fan of Sherlock Holmes, may have made suggestions to Doyle about how to sharpen the detective's character--and Doyle for his part may have given Wilde crucial information which he used to spectacular effect in Dorian Gray.

"This was pure gold. We knew there had to be a Pendergast story in here somewhere. We began brainstorming—and an extraordinary idea for a novel came to us. We never looked back.”

On the basis of that, Linc immediately wrote the first chapter of what would prove to be our next novel. The chapter takes place in 1889. It is Linc’s reconstruction of what Wilde and Doyle talked about during that momentous London dinner. Now, we are delighted to share with you—our special newsletter subscribers—the conclusion to that chapter of WHITE FIRE. The chapter following will bring the reader to the present day—and to Pendergast’s greatest mystery yet.

…Wilde looked at Doyle with something like amusement. “Did you think that I do not recognize the face of horror when I stare into it? I was once told a story so dreadful, so distressing in its particulars and the extent of its evil, that now I truly believe nothing I hear could ever frighten me again.” “How interesting,” Doyle replied a little absently. Wilde regarded him, a small smile forming on his large, pale features. “Would you care to hear it? It is not for the faint of heart.” The way Wilde phrased this, it sounded like a challenge. “By all means.” “It was told to me during my lecture tour of America a few years back.” Wilde paused, wetting his thick, red lips with a delicate sip of wine. “Here, lean in a little closer, that’s a good fellow, and I’ll tell it you exactly as it was told to me…” Ten minutes later, a diner at the restaurant in the Langham Hotel would have been surprised to note—amid the susurrus of genteel conversation and the tinkle of cutlery—a man in the dress of a country doctor by the name of Doyle abruptly rise from his table, very pale. Knocking over his chair in his agitation, one hand to his forehead, the young man staggered from the room, nearly upsetting a waiter’s tray of delicacies. And as he vanished in the direction of the gentlemen’s toilet area, his face displayed a perfect expression of revulsion and horror.

More to come! Until next time, be well, take care, and as always thank you so much for your continued interest and support.

Conan Doyle was totally into spiritualism. He was also actively involved in supporting accused people who were wrongfully accused of crime.

Because of his efforts to prove George Edalji innocent of the crime of animal mutilation, the UK Court of Appeals was established. His efforts to overturn the conviction of Oscar Slater in the Scottish murder case of Marion Gilchrist resulted in Slater being set free and Doyle actually paid the court costs for Slater.

Houdini was a complete skeptic and made it his life's work to find frauds.

But Doyle completely believed in the Cottingley fairies.

Like I said, fly on the wall moment.

2 people like this

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

MiskatonicGrad 597

Remote Viewer

Member

597

571 posts

Gender:Male

Location:Dunwich USA

"the natural progress of things is liberty to yield and goverment to gain ground." Thomas Jefferson

Conan Doyle was totally into spiritualism. He was also actively involved in supporting accused people who were wrongfully accused of crime.

Because of his efforts to prove George Edalji innocent of the crime of animal mutilation, the UK Court of Appeals was established. His efforts to overturn the conviction of Oscar Slater in the Scottish murder case of Marion Gilchrist resulted in Slater being set free and Doyle actually paid the court costs for Slater.

Houdini was a complete skeptic and made it his life's work to find frauds.

But Doyle completely believed in the Cottingley fairies.

Like I said, fly on the wall moment.

No,I had never known before this....

1 person likes this

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Antilles 561

Given that he created the ultra logical Holmes, it's quite fascinating to know that Conan Doyle was a believer in 'the other side'. If UFO's had been around, he probably would have believed in them as well.

He had an open mind, which is more than can be said for Holmes.

All in all, I think Conan Doyle was Dr Watson and his teacher, Dr Joseph Bell from Edinburgh Uni, was Sherlock.

1 person likes this

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Asadora 582

"... Rochester Square Spiritualist Temple. As a plaque inside the door attests, Sir Arthur had helped finance its construction in the decade before his death in 1930. Having grown rich through his Sherlock Holmes stories, he had become the world’s most famous exponent of spiritualism." [source: http://moreintelligentlife.co.uk/story/conan-doyle-spiritualism]

Another interesting thing:

"...author of many supernatural and weird tales, and of the Sherlock Holmes stories, had a brush with the GD but can be discounted as a member. In 1898 he was asked by Dr Henry Pullen Bury, (Frater Anima Pura Sit within the Golden Dawn) to join the Order. He underwent an astral examination which he found 'queer

and disagreeable' and declined to join.

In the standard biographies of Doyle such John Dickson Carr's, this incident does not rate a mention. It wasn't until 1915 that Doyle's mystical leanings really came to the fore, with his conversion to spiritualism. His earlier brush with the GD seems not to have influenced him in this regard; his spiritualist autobiography does not mention the 1898 incident, nor does Jones' account of the

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Simbi Laveau 4,429

"... Rochester Square Spiritualist Temple. As a plaque inside the door attests, Sir Arthur had helped finance its construction in the decade before his death in 1930. Having grown rich through his Sherlock Holmes stories, he had become the world’s most famous exponent of spiritualism." [source: http://moreintelligentlife.co.uk/story/conan-doyle-spiritualism]

Another interesting thing:

"...author of many supernatural and weird tales, and of the Sherlock Holmes stories, had a brush with the GD but can be discounted as a member. In 1898 he was asked by Dr Henry Pullen Bury, (Frater Anima Pura Sit within the Golden Dawn) to join the Order. He underwent an astral examination which he found 'queer

and disagreeable' and declined to join.

In the standard biographies of Doyle such John Dickson Carr's, this incident does not rate a mention. It wasn't until 1915 that Doyle's mystical leanings really came to the fore, with his conversion to spiritualism. His earlier brush with the GD seems not to have influenced him in this regard; his spiritualist autobiography does not mention the 1898 incident, nor does Jones' account of the

Conan Doyle was totally into spiritualism. He was also actively involved in supporting accused people who were wrongfully accused of crime.

Because of his efforts to prove George Edalji innocent of the crime of animal mutilation, the UK Court of Appeals was established. His efforts to overturn the conviction of Oscar Slater in the Scottish murder case of Marion Gilchrist resulted in Slater being set free and Doyle actually paid the court costs for Slater.

Houdini was a complete skeptic and made it his life's work to find frauds.

But Doyle completely believed in the Cottingley fairies.

Like I said, fly on the wall moment.

Eventually Houdini and Doyle had a falling out due to their lg differences in beliefs. Houdini would try/do his very best to expose frauds, and the tricks they used.